Colorless Sunsets and Dreams of Happiness
by salerate
Summary: This story follows Regina's life as she goes through various tribulations in the hopes of finding happiness. -SwanQueen-FairyQueen are the main ships to this story-with a side dish of StableQueen)


**_Christmas Eve_**

_Storybrooke, 24th of December 1999_

_Regina stares out the window as snowflakes twirl, swirl, and waltz right under her eyes. A row of pearly white teeth dances across the surface of her red painted bottom lip before sinking anxiously into it. A sigh escapes her lips tainting the window with condensation. Her small nose presses against the cold surface as she contemplates the snow covered street. One of her hands is holding in its grasp a glass of wine while the other slides pensively down the window frame._

_The moonlight confers a soft translucent glow to her skin and illuminates the fabric of her blue satin dress. Her usual braid has been substituted for an extricate hairdo that leaves her long graceful neck in display._

_"I knew you'd be here!" _

_Regina's heart skips a beat. She closes her eyes, mouth going dry. A butterfly tempest rises in her stomach. He fingers digs into the window's wooden frame as she tries to contain the overwhelming wave of emotion that comes crushing down on her. She turns around, cheeks flushed and fluttering lashes._

_"Tinker Bell..." She says in a barely audible whisper._

_A young woman rests against the study's doorframe, golden strands of hair falling in luscious curls against the fabric of her green coloured gown._

_"Always so dreamy, Regina," she states, amusement in her voice. "What's on your mind?"_

_Regina shrugs and casts her eyes downwards. She takes a sip of wine, staining the glass with her ruby lipstick. She lets the savory drink caress her tongue then swallows it with difficulty. She gazes out the window again, trying to suppress the lump in her throat._

_"Do you want to talk?" Her blonde friend asks,_

_"Do I look like I want to talk?" Regina replies, voice dipped in sarcasm. She groans when she notices the wounded look Tinker Bell directs her way. "I just-Do you ever get the feeling that everything is just too perfect?"_

_The blonde woman laughs._

_" You're not making any sense!"_

_A frown graces Regina's features and she purses her lips. Her eyes follow a figure walking up to her house, following the path her father shoveled in the snow earlier that day. She recognizes it as Daniel, her fiancé._

_She worries her lip once more._

_She can feel Tinker Bell's presence right by her side. Her body heat irradiates, acting like a comforting blanket against Regina's skin._

_"He's such a lovely guy," the blonde whisper near her friend's ear, unhooking Regina's fingers from the window's wooden frame and giving a light reassuring squeeze to her hand._

_A shiver courses trough Regina's spine at the feeling of Tinker Bell's breath brushing against the shell of her ear. _

_"Yes, he is"_

_Silence falls over them. Regina tries to concentrate on the dark form moving below but her mind is on the hand holding her own. The physical contact uncomfortable. Their joint hands are quickly turning moist. The sensation is disgusting, unbearable, but somehow she is reluctant to let go._

_She takes another sip of red wine, her lips lingering pensively against the glass. She pivots her body towards her friend, contemplating her through a gloomy hooded-stare._

_"You look absolutely ravishing with your hair down like that. It's a remarkable step up from that usual disorganized coiffure of yours."_

_Tinker Bell holds her gaze for a moment, piercing forest green eyes searching her soul._

_"I'll take that as a compliment."_

_Regina's tongue darts out, swiping over her suddenly dry lips. She clears her throat._

_"It was one," she replies, unclasping their hands and wrapping her arm around her waist._

_"You look beautiful as well," Tinker Bell murmurs in a soft voice._

_There's a slight blush painted across her face. Her gaze is timid yet instant. Her pink parted lips are so close that Regina can feel her breath caress her cheek._

_The sound of the front door opening resonates in the distance._

_Regina swallows thickly._

_"I think we should go downstairs and greet Daniel."_

* * *

Storybrooke, 24th of December 2012

"Henry, hurry up! We're going to be late," Regina yells from down the stairs.

She groans, noticing a pair of shoes laying in the middle of the entrance.. Ten years ago, Regina and her husband adopted a little boy. Most of the time, she considers her son the most precious gift life as ever given to her, but she still gets annoyed at the mess he tends to leave behind him.

"What did I tell you about leaving your shoes in the middle of the way?" She rolls her eyes, picking her son's sneakers and moving them out of the way. She's about to call after him again when she feels a warm hand splays soothingly against her lower back.

"Regina, you're doing it again," Daniel tells her softly while pulling her to him. "Remember what Archie told you about transfer."

"I'm not transferring my anxiety on our son. I'm just tired of repeating the same thing over and over again," she replies, flinching slightly when her husband pushes a rebellious lock of raven hair behind her ear. "Her never listens to me."

"Regina, he's a kid. We're going to be a little late. He left his shoes in the middle of the entrance, so what? Does it really matter."

The raven haired beauty huffs and purses her lips, pulling away from her husband's embrace.

"One of us has to be a little authoritarian," she answers as she searches through the wardrobe for her mink fur coat. She hands into him, He holds it up for her, helping her slip into it.

"You're not just a little authoritarian, Regina. Let the kid breathe a little."

She glares at him.

"Enough," she snaps. "Could you go check on your son and see if he's ready?"

She clenches her jaw and watches him walk away. She knows Daniel means well but she hates whenever he brings up her sessions with her psychologist. Unlike her husband, she has a hard time establishing a connexion with her son. Her short temper has been affecting her interactions with Henry for a while now. Following her husband's advice, she has decided to seek the help of a professional in order to build tools that would help her mend their relationship. She is aware of her short comings concerning her son. She simply doesn't like being constantly reminded of them.

The thumping of Henry's feet running down the stair announces his arrival. His father is not far behind. She instinctively reaches for her son, hand going from trying to pull him into an embrace to settling for ruffling his hair.

"You look very handsome young man!" She squeals with pride, but is quickly unsettled by his mask of indifference.

"It's going to be okay," Daniel mouths from behind their son.

She wishes she could believe him.


End file.
